Transmission
Transmission is a 2004 novel by British Indian author Hari Kunzru. It is his second novel. http://literature.britishcouncil.org/hari-kunzru The story interweaves the fates of Arjun Mehta, Guy Swift, Leela Zahir and Gabriella Caro in the events that lead up to and follow the release of a powerful computer virus written by Arjun. The novel is structured in two parts. The first part, "Signal," comprises the majority of the book and describes how the virus came to be as well as its release and the immediate aftermath. The much smaller second part, entitled "Noise," changes to a retrospective tone as it documents or speculates about the outcomes for each of the characters. Plot Summary Arjun Mehta, is a young Indian software engineer and recent graduate of North Okhla Institute of Technology. He lives with his conservative middle-class family in the Greater Noida suburb of New Delhi. He goes to interview with a software contracting firm called Databodies, ''and is given the offer to go work in California'sSilicon Valley . His family is very proud of him and engages in celebrations prior to his departure. Upon arrival in California, Arjun is placed by Databodies in small shared apartment in a low income neighborhood near highway 101. Arjun is given software consulting work and is paid on a contract according to the time he spends with clients. He is given an H1N1 visa, but is substantially underpaid compared to American engineers due being a foreigner. His first as signment is to assist a fish processing firm in Portland, Maine in fixing their data networks. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_virus The work is trivial and he makes an effort to work slow so that he has work for the three week duration that he has to be on the project. After several slow months, Arjun gets a job as a virus testing assistant with Virugenix in Redmond, Washington. He performs well there and enjoys his work alth ough the people in his office are reclusive and his boss, Daryl, is not pleasant. Arjun completes various personality assessments, and one of them is a "How Asperger's are You" quiz administered by Christine, a colleage of Arjun's. Christine and Arjun meet and befriend each other. While Christine, or "Chris", spends time with Arjun, she learns about his Indian culture, teaches him about American culture, and teaches him how to drive. Christine and Arjun drink together and get to know each other. One night, Chris gets high, goes to Arjun's house, and has sex with him. Afterwords, she regrets it and ignores his correspondence out of embarrasment. Soon after, the market crashes, Virigunix stock tanks, and Arjun loses his job. Arjun is distraught because his whole time in America, he has been telling his family a different story from what he has actually been through. His family thinks he is immensely succesful and wealthy, when in reality he is troubled and underpaid. Soon after his unemployment, he reaches out to Chris and she consoles him. They get in an argument and Arjun walks off. Virugenix gives Arjun two wee ks to make preparations to leave and in this time Arjun is committed to retaining hsi job. He decides to create a business for his employer by creating a very serious computer virus that only he knows how to cure, and thus will make him an indispensible employee. Systems accross the globe are affected and become inoperable. The only life that shows on computers is Leela Zahir, a top bollywood actress, dancing accross the screen thus making his virus, the "Leela Virus". Arjun's dream of keeping his job is not fullfilled. Arjun's plot is uncovered by the FBI and Arjun is labeled one of the world's most wanted terrorists. Arjun, in fear of shaming his family, leaves Washington and makes efforts to leave the country. The second half of the story focuses on a character named Guy Swift. He is the CEO of Tomorrow, a brand and marketing firm based in London. He is from a wealthy and succesful family and has been succesful in everything he has done in life thus far. Swift is in a relationship with a beatiful Gabriella Caro, who does not want to be with him. Swift is moody and resorts to drugs and alcohol during troubled times. Guy's firm is one of the world's top marketing word suppliers and branding firms. Guy blows a deal with a rich Arab golf course magnat. He want's to hear Guy's pitch while they play golf. To add to the situation, Guy has never played golf before. Also, this time Guy does not have elaborate powerpoints, graphs, and visuals to hide the lack of inherent worth and benefit in his product. Guy is unable to sell to the golf magnate. Investors demand to see their returns and guy is not able to give results. Guy's firm embarks on a steep decline, and Arjun's "Leela Virus" adds to the firms problems. In the last part of the novel, the young Indian superstar diva, Leela Zahir, puts off her career and the Scottland production of her latest film, and enages in self-indulgent activities that lead to her downfall. Major Characters 'Arjun Mehta' A graduate of North Okhla Institute of Technology who comes from a conservative, middle-class Indian family. At a job interview, he is promised a software engineer job in the United States. After many troubling months of interviewing for contract work, Mehta settles in Redmond, Wa., as a tester for Virugenix. Throughout the book, Mehta admits he shows many signs of Asperger syndrome , namely difficulties in social interaction. He is responsible for creating and spreading the Leela computer virus that caused the failure of systems worldwide. Labeled a terrorist and fearing he has shamed his family back home, Mehta flees Washington in hopes of leaving the country. 'Guy Swift' The CEO of Tomorrow*, a brand and marketing consulting firm in London. Swift comes from a wealthy and successful family, his father often saying that "people like us don't lose." Transmission, pg. 206 As such, he is used to finding success in anything he does. When things do not go his way, Swift often panics, sometimes turning to drugs and alcohol for temporary relief. Throughout the story he is in a relationship with Gabriella Caro, although he is too stubborn to realize she does not want to be with him anymore. 'Leela Zahir' One of the most famous young actresses in Bollywood and also the subject of the Leela computer virus. Zahir, 21, was raised by her mother to be in show business, having her clothes, food, friends and other parts of her life chosen for her. She did not ask for the fame given to her, but throughout life she has accepted her fate mainly because she is intimidated by her mother. 'Gabriella Caro' A public relations specialist and also Guy Swift's girlfriend. Caro comes from a troubled family. Her sister, Caroline, died after overdosing on drugs. Her parents split when Caro was young, and she moved a lot with her mother. As a result, Caro struggled to find any stability throughout her life. Major Themes 'Dependence on Technology''' and Logic Being the most widely touched on theme throughout the book, we see this dependence on technology where the impacts of its malfunction are felt by just about everybody. It would be an understatement to say that the Leela variant viruses terrorized the world as we know it. This period of time, termed "Grayday" , gripped the world with "appalling losses, drop-outs, crashes and absences of every kind...Grayday was an informational disaster, a holocaust of bits".Transmission, pg. 254 Home computers, system networks, and mobile telephones were compromised and what culminated was a period of uncertainty where the only option was to simply move on. The effects of "Grayday" touched more than Arjun had originally intended, including his own, Leela's, and Guy's, to name a few. The dependence of the world on this technology essentially: *Made Arjun an international fugitive. *Forced Leela to flee from her new international identity. *Led to Guy's deportation due to a system error in his identification For a more in-depth look at the effect of technology has on our 21st generation society, refer to Cyberpunk, Cyberspace, and Ghost in the Shell 'Cultural Differences' 'Exertion of Pressure Due to Influence of Others' Locations Write about the major locations the book was set in. Historical Context Section content Awards and Recognitions Hari Kunzru is a British Indian novelist. He resides in London, and is well known for his works : The Impressionist,Transmission, My Revolutions and Gods Without Men. The book transmission earned a lot of attention for its intelligence, entertaining, and realistic view. Critics thought that the book was comedic, educating, and was presented in an elegant manner. It shows clear signs of Kunzru's interest in technology, and the issue of globalization. Kunzru does a spectacular job at presenting the story to the audience with great characters; especially,'Arjun Mehta.' He characterizes Arjun as a shy Immigrant from the middle-class India, who dreams of moving to America and having a successful life. 'Reviews by Book Critics': • "Transmission possesses a wonderful lightness, and keeps you rooting for its bumbling hero, wincing at self-obsessed Guy, growing sorry for unfulfilled Gabriella and hoping against hope that Leela can escape her dreadful life -- and her even more dreadful mother" - Michael Dirda, The Washington PostDirda, Miranda (2004) The Washington Post, "Things fall apart in this sly postmodern fable of information-age displacement" • "With this second novel (after The Impressionist, a wildly inventive gallop through the raj with a shape-shifting British-Indian hero), the entertaining Mr. Kunzru makes it even clearer that he has a flair for culture clash and metamorphosis. The new book's other characters are every bit as mutable -- and comically hapless -- as Arjun proves to be." -Janet Maslin, New York Times Maslin, Janet (2004) The New York Times, "BOOKS OF THE TIMES; Culture Clash on the Messy Trail of Computer Viruses" • "Kunzru's great skill is his ability to create colorful vignettes about modern life: the geek culture at computer companies; the outrageous ambiance at the world's only six-star hotel (in Dubai). (...) Transmission's trick is being able to deftly jump easily between locales and show how, despite the vast differences between Bombay or Dubai, San Diego or Scotland, rich and poor are interdependent." - Edward Nawotka, USA Today Nawotka, Edward (2004) USA Today, "Transmission finds a bug in the digital age" Reviews by UMD ENGL295 students: ''' The overall impression of Transmission by ENGL295 students from University of Maryland, College Park is positive. Most students found the text to be engaging and the writing creative. One student found the novel so interesting that he did not want to stop reading. There was a general interest in the themes and lead characters. The two themes that were recognized in the class blog the most were Asperger’s Syndrome and cultural struggles. The lead character Arjun was also of special interest to the students. Most sympathized with Arjun. They did this through acknowledging that the difficulties he was enduring was not his fault, rather his mental and social disability. There was a division regarding whether Arjun’s unsuccess was related to his social or mental disability. On one side of the argument, students thought Arjun does not show strong signs of Asperger’s and can function in everyday activities. Thus, living in a new culture was his greatest impediment. Others thought that his mental disability added to his social understanding to the point that it was his greatest impediment. '''List of Awards won by ''Transmission:'' • 2005: British Book Awards Decibel Writer of the Year, Transmission • 2005:New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Transmission • Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize, Transmission Sources Category:Literature